Abstract:
Consumer cooperatives are enterprises carefully held by consumers, managed democratically, aiming at fulfilling the necessities and aspirations of the members. Consumer cooperatives typically state in their agreements that their objective was establishing of consumer cooperatives at members’ participation to consumers and supposedly activated in the interest of their members’. The objective of the study was to assess factors that affect members’ participation in selected primary consumer cooperative societies in study area. Descriptive and explanatory method of research design, as well as mixed type of research approach and multistage sample method was employed. The researcher used both primary and secondary data sources. 140 survey responses were collected from members of the consumer cooperatives in the study area. In addition to this, with whom face to face interview, key informant interview and focus group discussion with triangulations primary data used to strengthen the information that have been collected. The data have been analyzed through, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics as well as multiple linear regression and correlation have used to draw important information. The finding problems of research indicate that consumer cooperatives have activity participation in providing fairness measure attendance at meeting and utilization service for their consumers. Besides, get income, share of profit to members, total number share, financial resources, distance from member residence, lack infrastructures, perception of members, training, extension service, management capability, membership status, position and weak linkage among and other cooperative are majority problem that influence members’ participation in consumer cooperatives. The multiple regression analysis showed that socio-cultural factor was 5% significant, while, economics and institution factors were 1% significant. Recommended that government support, willingness of members to joint consumer cooperatives and dissatisfaction of members’ by participations taken as opportunity for those cooperatives in Ambo town
